It's time to hop in the Way-Back Machine and revisit one of the true classics of bad cinema; Barbarella Queen of the Galaxy. From the opening credits you know you're in for something special. Say what you will about Jane Fonda as an actress, but she was hot. I can guarantee you that almost no one reads the opening credits as Fonda (Barbarella) does a zero gravity striptease. The glimpses are fleeting, but tasty, and the film goes out of the way to expose as much of Fonda as possible in every scene. Her outfits would make Bettie Page envious.

At the opening, we find Barbarella lounging about her shagedelic spacecraft. This place has all the finest trappings of the decade of love even though we are in the year 40,000 AD. Shag carpets, lava lamps, psychedelic colors, you name it, it’s in this movie. She receives orders to rescue a scientist named Durand-Durand (yes, Duran Duran took their name from this movie and that makes me respect them just a wee bit more) from the evil clutches of The Black Queen (Anita Pallenberg.) The circumstances are dire as he has invented a powerful weapon that threatens the universe. She must use all of her powers to save him.

And what powers might those be, you ask? She only has one, the obvious one, of course; her sexuality. The movie is just one long excuse for her to go from one sexual relationship to another, and to get her in as many different skin-tight outfits as possible. Outstanding! And the sets, costumes and special effects are supremely ridiculous. I just can’t believe that anyone had the balls to green-light the project back then. These days there’s talk of a remake starring Drew Barrymore. I can only believe that’s going to be a big old flop.

This is camp with a capital C. Fonda’s blandness as an actress actually work quite nicely here, and nothing in the movie takes itself too seriously. Do look for the creepy children and their dolls near the beginning of the film, and do look for Marcel Marceau as Professor Ping. There's a good reason this guy turned to the sublime art of mime.

Hamlin Grade: 6

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